need consistency and certainty if they are to grow and succeed after we leave the EU.”

reduce the effects of humidity on the build- ing, as well as improving circulation and thermal resistance. Located in a deprived neighbourhood in

Pocklington appointed to central housing role at Ministry

Jeremy Pocklington has been appointed as the new Director General for Housing at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, overseeing the imple- mentation of housing policy. Pocklington is currently the Director General for Energy and Security in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

After the Government published a technical note on the temporary customs arrangements, which will determine the UK’s negotiating position at the European Council Summit on 28 June, the NFB has called for the reassurance of construction SMEs. The NFB has argued that the ‘continu- ous disagreement’ over the future direction of Brexit among backbench MPs and Cabinet Ministers in Government has created a degree of uncertainty, which it believes is harmful for businesses across the UK construction industry. Figures from the Construction Trade Survey for Q1 of 2008 shows that output has decreased from £39.3bn Q1 of 2017 to £38.2bn in Q1 of 2018, and that 87 per cent of contractors reported increasing material costs throughout the first three months of 2018. This has reportedly been made worse by the deprecating pound, which has contributed to rising material costs for contractors. Richard Beresford, chief executive of the NFB, said: “Currently 77 per cent of products consumed in UK construction are already made in the UK, with some of our most exported products also being the most imported. Therefore, it is crucial that we invest in the capacity of those industries.

“MPs and Cabinet Ministers need to stop fighting the EU referendum and come together to work out a cross-party approach to Brexit. SMEs and regional contractors across the construction industry

He will take over the new position in September, replacing Helen MacNamara, who has been appointed to the role of Director General of Propriety and Ethics in the Cabinet Office.

Pocklington commented on his appoint-

ment: “I am delighted to take up this exciting challenge as the Government builds the homes our country needs, ensur- ing safe and decent homes in a market that’s fit for the future.”

French family is first to live in a 3D printed home

In what is a world first, a French family have moved into a 3D-printed home, in the city of Nantes. Taking just 54 hours to print, as well as four more months for contractors to complete the fenestration, roofing, and installation of the doors, the four bedroom property cost around £176,000 to build. This reportedly saved 20 per cent of costs as apposed to identical construction utilis- ing more traditional methods. With a footprint of 95 m2

, the home was

built for a family of five, with four bedrooms and a large central space. The construction method has allowed for a curved form to fit the features of the site, with the curved walls also being claimed to

A new Construction Academy has been launched by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, along with the publication of his ‘Skills and Adult Education Strategy - Skills for Londoners’ paper. The new paper hopes to “ensure all Londoners have the skills, education and training they need to succeed”. Developed with the support of construc- tion employers, industry experts and skills providers, the new Academy is partly funded through the London Economic Action Partnership’s Growth Deal with central Government, which included £8m allocated to the programme. With no single centre, the Academy is a network of construction skills providers across London. A Mayor’s Construction Academy ‘quality

mark’ has been created to identify high- quality construction skills training provision. Later this year, quality-marked providers will also be able to apply for investment from the Londoners Capital Fund to develop their training facilities. Khan has also announced a £1.4m exten-

sion to the London Enterprise Adviser Network, which matches volunteer business advisers with school leaders to help them offer better careers advice and work more closely with businesses. City Hall claims this will triple the size of the existing network, meaning up to 700 volunteers will work with at least 470 schools and further education colleges across London.

the north of Nantes, the project was a collab- oration between the city council, housing association and the University of Nantes. The house was designed in a studio, and then programmed into a 3D printer, which carried out the construction. Once brought to site, the large machine ‘prints’ walls in layers from the floor up, with each wall consisting of two layers of insulating polyurethane, with a space inbetween to later be filled with cement.